apotheosis
noun
ˌa-pə-ˈthē-ə-səs
Sam TanenhausDavid Leavin
Did you know?
Among the ancient Greeks, it was sometimes thought fitting to grant someone “god” status. Hence the word apothéōsis, from the verb apotheóō or apotheoûn, meaning “to deify.” (All are rooted in the Greek word theós, meaning “god,” which we can also thank for such religion-related terms as theology and atheism.) There’s not a lot of literal apotheosizing to be had in modern English, but apotheosis is thriving in the 21st century. It can refer to the highest or best part of something, as in “the celebration reaches its apotheosis in an elaborate feast,” or to a perfect example or ultimate form, as in “a movie that is the apotheosis of the sci-fi genre.”
Examples of apotheosis in a Sentence
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 July 2026
Lost Lantern’s passion for sourcing whiskey from every corner of this great land of ours has reached its apotheosis with its tribute to America on its 250th birthday, The United States Of Bourbon.
—
Tony Sachs,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2026
Trading for Antonio McDyess There was a nearly endless run of bad personnel decisions over the two decades before this administration arrived, but the McDyess deal in June 2002 might be the apotheosis of them.
—
Mike Vorkunov,
New York Times,
6 June 2026
After portraying Alabaster, down to his pearly-white surname, as the apotheosis of white male villainy, Cash deflates him by arguing, essentially, #NotAllMen.
—
Malavika Kannan,
Vulture,
3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for apotheosis
Cite this Entry
“Apotheosis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apotheosis. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
Copy Citation
